


Behind the War Outtakes

by Ryuuma



Series: War is War [2]
Category: MASH (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 05:33:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18543304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryuuma/pseuds/Ryuuma
Summary: B.J. is good at his job and he knows it. So why is he suddenly so terrified?





	1. BJ, Change of Command

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> B.J. is good at his job and he knows it. So why is he suddenly so terrified?

He wasn't a bad surgeon. He was top ten in almost every class. He knew this, why was he shaking? Then, to make it worse, the Colonel just had to come over. He didn't say anything, just watched critically. He was a calm guy, used to working under critical eyes, so he didn't know why he had to crush the sudden swell of panic rising in his chest. Afterwards, he would realize it was because it was the Colonel that was standing there and after all of the stories he'd heard about the previous Colonel, he was wary of the new one. He wasn't a paranoid man by nature, but remembering some still sergeants in basic and never having been in a MASH unit before, he had no reason to not believe Hawkeye.

"May I?"

B.J. could have cried with relief when the Colonel finally spoke. He didn't. He just nodded and said, "Sure."

Then silence stretched again and he found his hands shaking even more. Vaguely, distantly, he noticed his breathing was now coming in short gasps, his hands shaking violently. Breathe, breathe, breathe, he chanted silently.

"There... Not... lose him," the Colonel's voice said from somewhere far away.

But it wasn't the fear of losing the boy on the table, it was the man standing over him, evaluating his every move. The previous CO had done the same thing, according to Hawkeye. He did it to the one's he was interested in, everyone has told him.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

What if he had to break his marriage vows to Peg? What would he say to her? He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, he couldn't break his vow to Peg, but one the other, he couldn't stand by while Hawkeye suffered night after night.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

A conundrum, indeed. How-

"There... Easy does it..." the Colonel's voice filtered slowly in his head and he grasped at it desperately. Slowly, he calmed himself. Normally, he'd get to know someone before passing judgement, but the stories he'd heard of the other Colonel made his blood freeze.

Hawkeye had turned around and was watching with obvious surprise and perhaps even a little bit of grudging respect.

Eventually, the Colonel moved on to watch Hawkeye and B.J. began to breathe again, feeling guilty about the relief coursing through him. Maybe he'd have to break his vows to Peg one night, but it wouldn't be tonight.


	2. Run Down Radar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What people don't realize is that often times, the people that aren't seen, the ones behind the scenes, are doing the real work, not the ones that get the credit and recognition.

Radar sighed, pushed the typewriter back, and let himself slump onto the desk. Four days of surgery. Straight. He shouldn't be tired. After all, it was the people like Hawkeye and B.J. who did all the work. At least that's what people always said. But after all that work, the docs were the ones who got to go curl up and sleep. Not him. After four straight days of carrying men on stretchers, running to the mess tent for food (several trips each time something was needed), and doing other odd jobs, he was forced to type up extra death certificates, letters of condolence, miscellaneous medical forms, and supply lists that couldn't wait. And, unluckily for him, it had been a terrible four days. More men than usual had died. That meant more paperwork than usual. Usually, it was only 12 more hours or so. No not than 16. On average, at least. So here he was on his second day straight of paperwork (a few hours of sleep altogether didn't count on his opinion. Particularly because most were under ten minutes) and had finally finished at 0400. Finally, he could rest. Two whole hours. Two amazing, glorious, uninterrupted hours.

He meant to go to his cot, he really did, but when he opened his eyes, it was two hours later. He'd fallen asleep on his desk. Rubbing his eyes, he got up and got into cleaner clothes and staggered to the Mess Tent, his stomach which had given up badgering him to eat days ago, rearing its head.

While he was still in line, the Colonel came in, his face stormy.

"O'Reilly! Front and center!" he barked.

Radar did as told and was then berated for five minutes in front of the rest of the camp for forgetting the morning report.

Of course, Radar didn't catch all the words, but the gist was understandable. It had to be done know. No, Radar couldn't eat or even get some coffee. No, Radar couldn't have time to rest. Now meant now.

The whole thing was made harder by the panic attack that was building up. The feeling of helplessness and the knowledge that even if the Colonel hadn't done anything yet, surely this would be the breaking point. And then the camp would hate him for being the straw that broke the camel's back. For making the Colonel who had been so good into a monster. They might not say it to him directly, but they would think it. He'd heard them talk about Hawkeye and Trapper. Some of them blamed them for making Blake turn harsh. Wha-

"Is that clear, Corporal?" the Colonel asked sharply.

"Y-yes, Sir!" he squeaked, dropping his tray and scurrying back to the Office.

The adrenaline got him through a bit of the report, but not even a quarter way through, he started nodding off. The door opened and Radar flinched. He kept working, though, not even looking up. No need to anger the Colonel more. To his surprise, a tray appeared on the desk. No coffee, though, he thought mournfully. He hated coffee, but the caffeine would be helpful right about now.

Looking up, he found Hawkeye watching him.

"The Colonel isn't here," Radar said, answering the unasked question.

Hawkeye's eye's hardened, then. "He had absolutely no right to do that to you! And after all the work you do so he can sit back and enjoy the war!" he hissed.

Radar frantically motioned for Hawkeye to keep it down. "Hawkeye, I'm used to it, alright? This isn't the first time after all. Just the first time he's done it publicly."

That made Hawkeye seem angrier, but he reeled it in.

"Anyway, you need food. I noticed you didn't come to any meal yesterday," he said, adding sourly, " Even if the Colonel didn't."

"Thanks, Hawk, but I really need to finish this report first," he said.

Hawkeye pulled out a bottle of pills, "You need to eat, Radar, so you can take a couple of these. You can't take it on an empty stomach. "

"What are they?" Radar asked curiously.

"They'll keep you awake. For a little while," Hawkeye said.

Radar could have cried from relief. "Thank you so much, Hawkeye!"

"Eat quickly and I'll take it away and the Colonel will be none the wiser," said Hawkeye, waving the thanks aside and sitting down.


End file.
